A Burglar Caught by a Skeleton & Other Singular Tales from the Victorian Press (29 page)

A Strange Discovery

A box was sent from Tynemouth to Canterbury a fortnight ago, but the person to whom it was addressed could not be found. The box has just been opened, and the dead body of a child found in it.

The Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette
, January 22, 1886

Lost in a Fog.

Twenty Persons Drowned

A fog of extraordinary density prevailed at Amsterdam, on Thursday night, compelling the suspension of vehicular traffic and rendering it highly dangerous for pedestrians to make their way from one part of the city to another.

It is stated this morning that no fewer than seventy-nine persons, who were out last night, missed their way and fell into the water of the various canals which intersect the city. Of these twenty at least were drowned, while several others are still missing.

The Evening News
, Portsmouth, December 30, 1893

An Incident of the Influenza

A peculiar incident is reported from Strood-next-Rochester. An elderly lady died from influenza, and the funeral was to have taken place a week ago. On the day appointed for the interment, however, all the mourners were down with the same malady, and the body was consequently removed to the mortuary.

Since then the deceased’s two sisters, who had resided with her, have died from influenza, and a sister-in-law is lying dangerously ill. A triple funeral will take place to-day.

The Devon and Exeter Daily Gazette
, March 14, 1895

Born in a Grave

A Vienna correspondent telegraphs: The
Pester Lloyd
reports a horrible story from a village near Szegedin, in Hungary.

The wife of a landed proprietor, Michael Gouda, died before giving birth to a child. The village doctor confirmed her death, and she was buried. Three days afterwards the husband began to entertain doubts as to the certainty of her death, and would not rest until the police had caused his wife to be exhumed.

The body was found lying on one side, and when the clothes were removed the corpse of a new-born child was found lying beside its mother. The local doctors assert that the child was born from the dead woman, but in Budapest it is believed that she was buried alive in a cataleptic condition. The husband is frantic.

The Evening News
, Portsmouth, September 20, 1890

Delicacy and Drowning

The
Hampshire Telegraph
, in its ‘Naval Section,’ relates the following curious story from Bermuda: ‘A party of blue-jackets were returning from Hamilton by steamboat, having just been on general leave, when a quarrel took place. According to my information one of the parties to this quarrel struck the man with whom he was contending, the result being that the latter went overboard.

‘A marine, having observed what had taken place, immediately peeled to jump in; but as he was just dropping the last article of attire and preparing for his spring, an officer ordered him to dress, as there were ladies in a boat close by.

‘A life-buoy was thrown overboard, and the ladies in the boat manifested every description of sympathy with the unfortunate man, who was now some two or three hundred yards astern, but seemed altogether opposed to the idea of an ordinary man springing into the sea unless duly and sufficiently attired in the garments which fashion rather than common sense has decided to be proper.

‘A sudden sweep of the boat brought the position of the unfortunate swimmer into view, and his frantic efforts to keep afloat at last created in the minds of those who were watching some idea of his imminent danger. Now the officer thought it necessary to ask if anyone could swim, and hardly were the words uttered when over went five men to the rescue, including the marine.

‘The action taken, however, was too late, and the poor fellow sank and was drowned. From this moment it seemed to occur to this young officer that he had been guilty of, to put it mildly, an act of false delicacy interwoven with a spice of inhumanity. Boats were now sent out and everything done that should have been done very much earlier. A coroner’s jury has assembled, and a verdict of “Found drowned” has been returned.’

The Western Daily Press
, Bristol, June 9, 1892

The Dead Sailor and His Dog.

A Terrible Discovery

A most extraordinary discovery was made a few weeks ago by two sailors belonging to a vessel named the Prairie Queen. The mariners in question landed on one of the cluster of small islands in the Indian Ocean known as the Maldives. Most of these are uninhabited. They are situated south-west of Cape Comorin. The sailors’ leave of absence did not extend beyond the brief space of two hours.

In less than half that time they came upon an object the sight of which transfixed them in a state of speechless astonishment and horror. They observed the ghastly remains of a human being hanging across the branch of a tree which one hand of the figure still grasped.

At their approach a flock of vultures flew off in all directions. The figure was nearly reduced to a mere skeleton, but the remnants of garments that partially clothed it served to show that the dead man was either an English or an American sailor. This was more clearly demonstrated upon closer inspection. On a branch of the tree the following name and date were carved –

S. PARKER. 1872

Near to the tree and its ghastly burden was a retriever dog, the howlings of which had attracted the sailors to the spot. They forthwith induced the captain and crew to witness the sad spectacle, and the general impression on the minds of all on board the Prairie Queen was that the strange figure was all that remained of a ship-wrecked sailor, who had sought the island in question as a haven of rest, and found thereon a grave.

Whether the ill-fated man died from want and exposure, or from the effects of lightning, or a sunstroke, it is not possible to say. The dog was doubtless saved with him from the wreck. How the poor animal managed to find food can be readily understood. The two sailors, before they left the island, dug a shallow grave, in which they deposited the remains. The dog they took with them and the faithful creature soon became a great favourite with every man and boy on board the Prairie Queen.

The Illustrated Police News
, January 3, 1874

A Strange Will

A well-known citizen of Brooklyn, U.S., alike renowned for his wealth and eccentricity, died a few weeks ago, and his last will and testament was found by his sorrowing relatives with whom he had been at odds during his life, to contain the following curious bequests: ‘I own seventy-one pairs of trousers. It is my desire that they be sold by public auction after my death, and that the product of their sale be distributed among the deserving poor of my parish. They must, however, be disposed of severally to different bidders, no single individual being permitted to purchase more than one pair.’

These directions were duly carried out by the heirs-at-law. The seventy-one pairs of trousers were successively knocked down to seventy-one purchasers, and their price was handed over to the parochial authorities.